


First Dance

by Rusted_Crutches



Category: Bottled Up (Webcomic)
Genre: Baby's first ship fic, F/M, Flirting, Kissing, Slow Dancing, Suggestive language, Vague Established Relationship, Waltzing, Well more like a, but hey semantics, woot woot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-25
Updated: 2020-10-25
Packaged: 2021-03-08 22:40:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,412
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27183946
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rusted_Crutches/pseuds/Rusted_Crutches
Summary: The sudden sound of classical music erupting from the ballroom nearly startles them both, loud enough to send vibrations through the floor, cutting Tetrox off halfway through her sentence. Their heads snap towards the door, the shadows of figures coming together and gliding about the room can be seen through the glass stained windows.Tetrox looks back to him, absolutely ecstatic. “Hey, let’s dance!” She says, her eyes lit up like a Christmas tree. Arnick frowns.
Relationships: Tetrox Gorgonzola/Arnick Stilton
Comments: 1
Kudos: 5





	First Dance

**Author's Note:**

> I have accomplished in 3 days what I could not in seven months. I am unstoppable. Thanks to my mutual @bupdate-please on Tumblr for the replies to [this post](https://rusted-crutches.tumblr.com/post/612217470026203136/arnick-and-tetrox-slow-dancing-but-with-tetrox-as) that inspired this whole thing <3
> 
> Also, this piece has a couple of headcanons in it, such as the bottlers being more like celebrities than they are and canon, and both Tetrox and Arnick being Bi.
> 
> This was a labor of love, so enjoy~.
> 
> Proofread by my friend Jonquil-is-eggman on tumblr. All remaining mistakes are my own.

“Still the same as ever, I see.”

“Well, you know me,” Arnick says airily. He extinguishes his cigarette against the floor of the balcony. “I’ve never been big on parties.”

It’s the night of the Ambrosia and Co. charity ball, an annual event held at the Laguiole estate each year. Despite the name, it’s more of an event for the _public_ rather than the employees and associates, used to bring good publicity to the company and give back to the community. And though they were ‘highly encouraged’ to attend, bottlers weren’t under any real obligation to attend.

Most, _especially_ Arnick, usually don’t bother. Though when it’s one of your best friends hosting the event, and yourother _maybe-more-than-just-a-friend_ forcibly drags you along as her date, you have little choice in the matter. He’s normally less than thrilled whenever he’s roped into an event like this, but there was a... particular reason he wasn’t looking forward to tonight.

Tetrox gently closes the door to the large, chatter filled ballroom behind her. “Yeah,” she says, crossing the balcony towards him, heels clicking against the ground. “You just seem a bit more annoyed than usual.” She sits beside him leaning against the thick stone railing, her deep blue party dress sparkling in the moonlight. “What’s up?”

Arnick sighs, sliding down to lean on his elbows. He doesn’t even care that his suit was scraping against the concrete. “Oh, thinking about the numerous other things I _could_ be doing if I weren't here right now.”

She raises an eyebrow. “You always say that.”

“Precisely.”

Tetrox rolls her eyes. “Uh-huh,” she says doubtfully. “You sure you didn’t have another ‘run in’ with Jonquil?” Arnick groans and covers his face with his hand, recalling that _last_ time he had attended this particular event.

It was a few years ago. The higher-ups _somehow_ managed to wrangle him into helping with preparations of drinks and hors d'oeuvres. At some point, he found himself in the mansion cellar and lost his way, which eventually led him to fall into a giant vat of fire nectar and was later rescued by Jonquil. A story which he so _graciously_ retells whenever they’re even remotely in the same vicinity.

“I swear if he shows up I'm punching him in the nose.”

Tetrox laughs. “I’ll take that as a no.”

They fall into a comfortable silence, nothing but the sound of muffled chattering from the ballroom and rustling trees in the distance. After a few moments, Tetrox hops off the railing, landing with a _clack-clack_ , and stretches her arms into the sky. She looks up at the moon with one eye open, before checking her wristwatch for the time. She blows a raspberry into the air.

“Well, I’m gettin’ bored of this whole shebang anyway,” she says. “Whaddya say we ditch this place and go get some Burp King. I am _dying_ for a burger right now.”

Arnick sits back up on the railing, adjusting his coat. “Belladonna said to keep a low profile,” he replies. “Besides, I don’t want to deal with another tabloid fiasco.”

Tetrox scoffs in annoyance. “Ugh, those people ain’t got nothin’ better to do than point and gossip.” She folds her arms. “Seriously, a ‘ _date’_ in a Sandy’s parking lot. You should treat me better, Nicky,” She says with a sarcastic pout.

He rolls his eyes. Tetrox would be impressed by a spruced up supply closet lit by candlelight. She was hardly picky. It didn’t matter where you took her, as long as there was food.

“Anyway, there’s more to a party than standin’ around. Let’s find something to do!”

He gives her a doubtful look. “Like what?”

She thinks for a moment. “Weeeell, they’ve started serving wine in the courtyard. We could get piss drunk? Liven up the place.”

“ _No_ ,” he says immediately. “I'm the one driving tonight. I am _not_ dealing with a drunk _you_ while _I’m_ sober.” Tetrox could handle her alcohol well enough, but when she goes overboard, she goes _overboard_.

Arnick would rather not have to drive two cities over to pick her up from jail. There was nothing worse than begging Cyanthia to bail her out every time. He knows she’s going to say no one of these days. How she hasn’t yet is a mystery to him.

She glares at him. “Alright, _fine_.” She closes her eyes to think, rubbing her chin between her thumb and forefinger. After a moment, a sly mischievous grin spreads across her lips and she looks at him with lidded eyes. “There’s a pool. We can go _skinny dipping~_.”

Arnick almost laughs. “Cyanthia will _kill_ me.”

Tetrox raises an eyebrow. “Oh, and I get off scot-free?”

“ _Cyanthia will kill me_.”

She places her hands on her hips. “ _Pffft_ ,If you think I’ll be _that_ broken up about-”

The sudden sound of classical music erupting from the ballroom nearly startles them both, loud enough to send vibrations through the floor, cutting Tetrox off halfway through her sentence. Their heads snap towards the door, the shadows of figures coming together and gliding about the room can be seen through the glass stained windows.

Tetrox looks back to him, absolutely ecstatic. “Hey, let’s dance!” She says, her eyes lit up like lights on a Christmas tree. Arnick frowns.

_And here we go._

He had a feeling something like this would come up. He’s somewhat ashamed to admit it, but that’s one of the many reasons he had been dreading this night. Reasons he preferred Tetrox didn’t know.

With anyone else, Arnick could get away with responding with a polite _“No thank you, dear.”, “I’m flattered, but…”_ or an _“I was just heading home.”_ excuse, and it would be fine. They would understand and go in search of another partner, leaving him alone. However, this was _Tetrox_ , and Tetrox wasn’t thwarted so easily.

“I’d rather not,” he replies finally.

Tetrox is unimpressed. “Oh, no smart comeback for that one, huh?” She says flatly.

“You know I don’t like being the center of attention,” He offers.

“Oh c’mon, everyone’s gonna be too busy focusing on each other to notice you bumbling around the dance floor. It’ll be fun!” She reaches for his arm and tries to pull him along, but he doesn’t budge.

Tetrox looks back at him disappointed. “What’s the matter with you? it’s just a dance,” she says with a pout.

“ _Exactly,_ ” he says, calmly pulling his arm free from her grasp, brushing the wrinkles from his sleeve. “I don’t see the fuss.”

“Nickyyyyy,” Tetrox pleads, pulling her best puppy dog eyes. Now that was just _unfair._

He glares at her. “You’re going to make me say it, aren’t you?”

She gives him a look, tilting her head to the side. Part of Arnick thinks she’s messing with him, but she seems genuinely clueless. He sighs, stuffing his hands into his pockets.

“I don’t know how to dance,” He says lamely.

Tetrox looks at him in surprise waiting for him to say something more. When he doesn’t she lets out a poorly disguised snort and pretends to scratch her face, covering her smile with her hand. “ _Seriously_ ,” she asks in disbelief, failing to muffle her laughter.

“ _What’s so funny?_ ”

She waves a hand in the air, clearing her throat. “No, nothing. It’s just I assumed Mr. _Suave_ and _elegant_ persona would be light on his toes.” Arnick lets out a sound of irritation. “You see, this is _exactly_ why I didn't want to tell you. I knew you would laugh!” He says, flustered. He’s more offended than embarrassed if he’s honest, but that doesn’t stop his ears from burning.

“Sorry, I just can’t believe _the man himself_ has never swept someone off their feet. Men and women everywhere would be _heartbroken,_ ” she says dramatically, posing as if she would faint.

Arnick rolls his eyes at her theatrics. “ _Please_ as if you’re any better.” He scoffs. “You’re clumsier than a one-legged blind pirate. I’ve seen you trip on _nothing_ three times just today!”

Tetrox brandishes a smug smile. “You’d be surprised how many people have complimented me on my footwork. I’m _quite_ graceful on the dance floor.”

“Yeah, I’d love to see that,” he says sarcastically.

Tetrox reaches out a hand and motions for him to step closer. “Well, why don’t I show you,” She laughs, voice low and daring.

“And publicly embarrass myself? No thank you.”

“Aw, don’t be like that. Why don’t we do it out here, just you and me?” She holds out her hand again. “C’mon, let me teach you.”

Arnick gives her a skeptical look, but her offering smile doesn’t waver. He considers the pros and cons of purposefully humiliating himself in front of Tetrox. On one hand, if he continued to refuse, she’d sulk and he wouldn’t hear the end of it for at least a week. On the other, it might be nice to hear her laugh.

Reluctantly, he takes her hand. “Alright,” he says finally. “But don’t be surprised when I step on your feet.”

With a happy smile, she pulls him off the railing and guides him towards the center of the balcony. There she pulls him close together so that they’re face to face with no more than two feet apart, her back facing the balcony door and his towards the treeline. The music from the party inside is still clearly audible, the stained glass panes gently vibrating from the sheer volume.

Tetrox rearranges their hands and gently kicks Arnick’s feet into place. She has him put one hand on her shoulder, his other one interlaced with hers, the palm of her hand warm against his. She rests her remaining hand flat against the small of his back.

“Now it’s real simple, Sugar,” she begins, “the important thing is not thinking too hard.”

Her hand starts shifting downwards as she speaks. Without hesitation, Arnick reaches around and pinches the back of her hand just hard enough to get her to stop. “Am I going to have to remind you to remain _professional_ , Miss Gorgonzola?”

She retracts her hand, shaking off the pain before returning it to a more appropriate position. “Just keeping you on your toes.”

“I’m sure,” He mumbles. More like begging for a scandal.

“All you gotta do is mirror my movements. Follow my lead and you’ll be just fine.”

The music from inside begins to fade out before picking up again in an effortless transition to a new one. That’s when they begin to move, Tetrox taking the first step back and Arnick following her forward with his opposite foot. They’re small, baby steps, moving back and forth in the same spot. Even so, he struggles to keep up at first, stumbling here and there Even as Tetrox tetrox verbally guides him.

For the first couple of minutes, it feels more frustrating than it’s worth, Tetrox’s comments on his gracelessness being no help. He steps out with the wrong foot more often than not, but slowly, he starts gets the hang of it. If only just a little.

“See,” She says. “You’re gettin’ it.”

“You’re not too bad yourself,” Arnick replies with an uneasy laugh, still focusing primarily on the placement of his feet.

“Told ya,” she says ever so smugly.

Arnick tries to be annoyed… but she’s right. Tetrox glides effortlessly across the floor (at least in comparison to his janky movements) almost as if on autopilot. It’s a stark contrast to her everyday movements and fighting style. He could hardly believe it, it was quite a surprise.

That was so unbelievably Tetrox he almost laughed.

“Youch!”

They stop moving and Tetrox lets out a sudden yelp as Arnick lands on her toes. She was trying to guide them in a circle, throwing him off, and causing him to miss his step. More surprised than hurt, she quickly soothes it by rubbing her foot on the back of her calf.

“I _told_ you-” Arnick tries to say.

“It’s fine,” she interrupts, putting her foot back down on the ground. “You were focused more on your movements instead of mine. You have to _let_ me lead.” They start again, and she moves his chin forcing him to look up at her and stop staring at his feet. “And my eyes are up here, _Sugar_.”

They’re rotating in a small circle now, Tetrox’s arms gently guiding him in the direction she wants. Moving along _with_ her rather than on his own makes things a bit easier, but he’s starting to feel like a puppet.

“I feel like you’re manhandling me,” he murmurs, barely avoiding stepping on her _other_ foot.

Tetrox hums. “You say that like you aren’t used to it,” she says in amusement.

“ _Hilarious_.”

Tetrox laughs. “I’ll be here all night.”

They continue for a little while, and Arnick finds he’s genuinely enjoying himself. As they sway, he lets his mind wander as she talks about something or another. He realizes there’s always been something about being in Tetrox’s presence that he’s enjoyed. He can’t put his finger on what it is, but there’s something special that he can’t keep himself away from.

A chill blows through the cold night air, but she’s close he can’t feel it. It’s almost completely dark outside, but she lights up the world so he doesn’t even notice. Distant hustle and bustle of the city, idle chatter from just beyond the door invading the air, but he’s too entranced by the song of her voice to care.

Eventually, they fall silent, focusing on the music and appreciating each other's company instead. The violins, flutes, harps, and countless other instruments he couldn’t possibly name, drown out the static of the everyday world, leaving them in peaceful bliss. It’s like time itself has come to a standstill.

When the music starts to fade quieter and quieter and Tetrox moves to pull away, he’s almost sad they’re going to. Then she giggles, almost as if sensing his disappointment. She leads him into a twirl instead, and he gladly follows along with a soft chuckle. They come back together again just as a new piece begins to play.

“Where did you learn to dance, by the way,” Arnick asks, returning his hand to her shoulder.

Tetrox shrugs. “Oh, highschool dances here and there,” she says. “Maybe a dance class or two.”

He looks at her skeptically. “You’re not _nearly_ patient enough for that.”

She huffs. “Okay, fine. One _high school_ dance class — or _half_ of a class — but it was a damn good one!”

Arnick smiles. “Now _that_ , I can believe.”

Tetrox just rolls her eyes and shakes her head. There’s no real emotion behind it, of course. “Well, what about you then, huh?” she asks airily.

“Hm?”

“How come you never learned?”

Arnick ponders for a moment. Oh, there were plenty of reasons, he’s sure. The main one being it wasn’t a practical skill in his eyes. It wouldn’t be of use in any line of work he’s ever thought about, and he wasn't exactly pursuing a career in it anytime soon.

He never had much of an opportunity to try it in his adolescence, either. Being so busy with individual sports, in addition to being so caught up in his studies and the like. He never had the time. Which was just as well. Most people were afraid of standing too close to him let alone making physical contact. He would have been excluded anyway.

“I don’t know,” he says, gently grazing the back of her hand with his thumb, their left and right hands still interlaced. “I suppose I never realized how wonderful it could be with the right partner.”

“Oh, he’s _such_ a charmer,” Tetrox chuckles, leading Arnick into another twirl, and he can only smile.

As they continue, dancing starts to feel more and more natural to him. Over time their steps become larger and movements slightly faster. He no longer struggles with keeping pace, following Tetrox’s lead becoming second nature to him.

“Say, Nicky, do you trust me?” He gives her a suspicious look. Nothing good _ever_ came from a question like that. “Against my better judgment,” he replies. “Why?”

She giggles “Just _trust me_ , Sugar.” She starts to move before he can even respond.

“I have no say in the matter.”

Tetrox swift but gently lowers Arnick into a dip, pulling one of his legs off the ground by the back of his knee. He anchors an arm around her neck, his remaining foot planted firmly on the ground. She adjusts her arm to higher on his back, pulling him much closer than he was prepared for. There’s an almost smug expression written on her face like she knows _exactly_ what she was doing.

He feels weightless. His cheeks heat up, their faces close enough their noses could touch. He can’t tell if the pounding in his ears is from the orchestra (did this set even have percussion instruments?) or all of the blood rushing to his head. It feels like an eternity before she returns him upright.

“See, that wasn’t so bad,” she says.

“A bit of a _warning_ would have been nice,” Arnick replies indignantly.

“I said you could trust me, _didn’t I_?”

He glares at her half-heartedly. “ _You would have dropped me for shits and giggles._ ”

Tetrox laughs but doesn’t deny it. He can feel a blush creeping up the back of his neck at that wonderful, bubbly sound. He thanks his blessing he can keep his face neutral and that it was too dark to see, but then he spots a twinkle in her eye that tells him he shouldn’t have counted on it so soon.

“Yknow, Nicky,” she begins, voice low. “If you keep making that face, I might get the wrong idea.” “What face?” He asks calmly, despite his heart hammering against his ribcage. He’s convinced she must be able to hear it.

“Oh, the one you make when you think I’m not paying attention,” she says airily. “Usually when I do something that impresses you.”

“This is my default expression,” he struggles to say, words failing him.

Tetrox barley holds back a snort. “ _Yeah, it is_.”

“Oh _fuck. **Off** ,_” Arnick yells.

“You walked _right_ into that one. It’s your own fault,” Tetrox giggles, and Arnick can’t find it within himself to stay mad.

He half-smiles. “Shut up,” Arnick says softly, with absolutely no heat behind it.

The music intensifies, loud enough to be heard miles away, echoing off the field of trees in the distance. He can feel it vibrate through him from his head to his toes. Like the song was trying to etch itself into his skin. They dance in perfect synch to music, the rhythm embedded in their bones.

She twirls him again, and then once more, before smoothly pulling him into another dip. He’s more prepared this time, leaning with the motion and allowing her to catch him before he falls too far. She holds him there effortlessly as if he were the lightest thing in the world. The music suddenly cuts out abruptly, only the sound of a distance violin, strained and desperate.

She kisses the tip of his nose softly. “ _Make me,_ ” she quips.

He’s unsure if it’s a dare, an invitation, or both. He stares deep into her eyes and she stares right back, and about a million different things run through his mind like a giant garbled mess. The violin slowly fades, getting quieter and quieter before disappearing completely, as if the whole world has gone silent. He catches her glancing down to his lips and he does the same.

In a moment of certainty, he brings a hand to her cheek. She closes her eyes, her face a faint shade of red in the pale moonlight. He pulls her closer, meeting her half-way for a soft, tender kiss.

The second their lips meet the orchestra erupts into action, an epic symphony screaming through the air. Cymbals clash and trumpets sound, heavy drums beating to the rhythm of his heart. It’s so close he swears he can hear it within his own mind, overpowering his very thoughts, nothing left but the feeling of Tetrox’s arms around him.

Even as the music comes to a close, the crowd inside breaking out in widespread applause, they don’t pull away. There’s an unspoken demand between them, sending sparks into the air. Caution is thrown to the wind without a care of what happens next.

_And it’s absolutely electrifying._

**Author's Note:**

> Not pictured; Arnick pulling away and seeing Tanrine doing a front-facing pog face through the window.
> 
> Comments and Kudos appreciated :D!
> 
> [Twitter](https://twitter.com/Rusted_Crutches)
> 
> [Tumblr](https://rusted-crutches.tumblr.com/)


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